If you’re looking to buy a horse shelter on a tight budget, a horse lean-to is a great option. While not extravagant, it is also not a simplistic run-in. A horse lean-to is a great fit for a horse shelter that keeps your horses protected from the elements, but at the same time does not break the bank with extravagant horse stalls, a center aisle, etc. Let’s start by introducing the basics of a lean-to horse barn.
What is a Lean-To for Horses?
In simplest terms, a lean-to for horses is basically a run-in shed + a large overhang. A lean-to for horses is typically 4-sided (just like a shed row barn) with a long overhang, typically supported by wooden posts. The overhang’s purpose is primarily to protect your horses from the elements, such as rain, snow, etc.
There is a bit of unclarity between lean-to horse barns and shed row barns. To further distinguish what a lean-to for horses is, we’ll show the differences between 3 common (and similar) types of horse barns: shed row barns, horse lean-to’s, and run-in sheds.
Type of Horse Barn | Distinguishing Features | Price |
Lean-To Shed | Offers best protection (of 3 choices listed); large overhang | $$$ |
Shed Row Barn | No extensive overhang; takes up less space than a horse lean-to; easy transport; easy oversight | $$ |
Run-In Shed | Best ventilation (3-sided structure); easy to manage; gives horses independence to walk in and out of stall | $ |
How Does the Cost of a Horse Lean-To Compare to Other Horse Barn Styles?
To best analyze this question, we’ll show you where the horse barn lean-to’s compare to 5 other styles of horse barns that we offer here at Fisher Barns.
Horse Barn Style | Features | Cost |
Monitor Horse Barn | Most popular Fisher Barn horse barn, includes second-story loft, 2 sliding doors, full second-story loft | $$$$$ |
Trailside Horse Barn | Smallest center aisle horse barn, single-story | $$$$ |
Lean-To Horse Barn | Large overhang (choose overhang length), Pine board & batten siding, | $$$ |
Shed Row Horse Barn | Cheapest enclosed Fisher Barn horse barn, available with tack room | $$ |
Run-In Horse Barn | Cheapest Fisher Barn option, large open front | $ |
What is the Cost of a Horse Lean-To?
The cost of a horse lean-to will vary depending on custom options and size. Here’s a list of some of the main custom options and sizes that would affect the cost of a horse lean-to.
Main Custom Options | Custom Option Prices (scale of 1-5 “$” signs) |
Metal roof | $$$$$ |
Sealed Architectural Print | $$$$$ |
Add. Leans (with or w/o gable ends) | $$$$$ |
Concrete Pillar Anchoring Hardware | $$$$ |
Felt paper underlayment | $$$$ |
Hurricane rafter ties | $$$ |
Cupola | $$$ |
Frameout | $$$ |
Weathervane | $$ |
Simple Shed Print | $$ |
Siding Options | $$ |
Single Door | $ |
Window | $ |
Color | – |
Fisher Barns offers horse lean-to’s in these sizes.
Fisher Barn’s Main Horse Lean-To Sizes |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 24’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 28’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 32’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 36’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 40’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 44’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 48’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 52’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 56’ L |
(16’ or 20’ or 24’ W) x 60’ L |
We hope you now understand what a lean-to for horses is. With that in mind, let’s continue on to the dimensions of a horse lean-to.
Keep in mind that you’ll also need to invest in a quality foundation for your horse barn.
At Fisher Barns, we do require a concrete pier foundation to be built before we install a lean-to horse barn. Foundation piers will cost an additional $2,000-$3,000 to your horse barn project, depending on the horse barn size and location.
What are some Standard Features of a Horse Lean-To?
Because we can’t speak for other companies and what features they offer for their lean-to horse barns, we’ll list for you our horse lean-to standard features:
- White Pine Board & Batten Siding (Paint Optional)
- Lifetime Architectural Shingles
- Oak Kickboard 4′ High
- Powder Coated Steel grills on Partitions
- 1 Door & 1 Window per Stall
- Available in sizes from 10×12 to 12×48.
How Tall is a Lean-To for Horses?
A lean-to for horses is about 8 ft. tall at the back and slopes up to around 10-12 feet at the front. A horse lean-to should typically be several feet taller towards the front to keep your horse from rearing and hitting his head on the ceiling.
At Fisher Barns, our lean-to sheds for horses range between 8’-10’ tall at the eave, meaning the back of the horse lean-to’s start at 8’-10’ tall and slope up so that the front is generally several feet higher than the back.
Bottom line is that your horse lean-to should never drop anywhere less than 8 ft. It’s actually better to set the bar even higher and choose at least a 10’ stall height. Ideally, the taller and more spacious your lean-to horse barn is, the better. Here are 2 reasons why a taller lean-to horse barn is better than a lower one:
1. Air Space
The lower the roof, the less air circulation will be in the stall. A healthy respiratory system is critical to a horse’s well-being. Therefore, a higher ceiling height provides better air circulation and ventilation.
2. Head Safety
Sudden noise, patting your horse, hand or bucket-feeding–these are all triggers that could spook your horse. If a horse becomes spooked in his stall, a common reaction is rearing up on its hindlegs. This is especially dangerous if you have a low ceiling height because your horse could easily injure his head on the ceiling. Therefore, keeping a higher ceiling height also keeps your horse farther from injury.
How Do You Build A Horse Lean-To?
If you’re a DIY’er and enjoy the challenge of a new build, a horse lean-to is a great project that would save you from having to pay a contractor to build the structure.
Here’s a great video that further explains how to build a horse lean-to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWhlvpSG8AM
How Big of a Lean-To Horse Barn Do I Need for 2 Horses?
A space of 10’x10’ or 12’x12’ is a good and safe stall size per horse. So for 2 horses, you would need a lean-to horse barn that is at least 12’ wide by 24’ deep.
Like we said, figure on just adding 12’ per horse. Here’s a list to quickly analyze how big of a horse lean-to you’ll need for the number of horses that you have, based on a space of 12’ wide by 12’ deep per horse.
Number of Horses | Horse Lean-To Dimensions (12’x12’ per horse) |
1 | 12’x12’ |
2 | 12’x24’ + 1 Extra Window & Stall Door |
3 | 12’x36’ + 2 Extra Windows & Stall Doors |
4 | 12’x48’ + 3 Extra Windows & Stall Doors |
5 | 12×60’ + 4 Extra Windows & Stall Doors |
What a Horse Barn Lean-To Looks Like
They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words” so here is an example of what a lean-to horse shelter looks like from Fisher Barns.
To get a better understanding of what a lean-to shed for horses consists of, we’ve put together a list of the structural details of the lean-to horse barn featured above.
Structural Details | Structural Details (Continuation) |
Style: Lean-To | Trusses: Standard Truss |
Base Size: 24‘x24′ | Leg Height: 8′ |
Architectural Shingles: Charcoal | Siding: Board & Batten |
Trim: Black | 4’x7’ Dutch Door (Qty. 2) |
Siding: Mahogany (Stain) | 28”x24” Single Hung Window (Qty: 2) |
Door: Navajo White | Cupola: 24”x24” Cupola |
Window Frame: White | Roof: Black |
Frame Spacing: 12′ Max Spacing | Roof Style: Architectural Shingles |
Roof Overhang: 10″ Overhang (all sides) | Roof Pitch: 3 / 12 |
We’re not trying to force you to buy our products, but we thought this breakdown would be helpful in understanding and visualizing what a quality lean-to horse shelter looks like, including the specs and details.
Here are two takeaways from the question, “How big of a lean-to horse barn do I need for 2 horses.”
- To be safe, figure 12’x12’ of space per horse.
- Add 12’ of length to your horse lean-to drawings, per additional horse.
How Deep Should A Horse Lean-To Be?
A horse lean-to should be at least 12’ deep in order to give your horse enough of space to move around freely. We’ve got more on the proper dimensions of a horse barn lean-to above.
Why Is A Lean-To Shed Beneficial?
A lean-to shed is beneficial because it is affordable, simulates an actual horse barn, and gives your horse(s) protection against the elements (unlike run-in or shed row barns).
Affordable
A lean-to shed is especially beneficial due to its affordability. When compared to Trailside or Monitor horse barns, a lean-to shed is only a fraction of the cost.
Simulates Horse Barn
A lean-to shed is also beneficial because it simulates an actual horse barn. While an actual horse barn might be decked with a center aisle and stalls on each side, a lean-to shed for horses has one side of stalls and an overhang to cover the “center” aisle.
Protection Against Elements
Another reason why lean-to horse barns are beneficial is that they offer sufficient protection from the elements. We’ve talked about this already, but let me remind you that a lean-to shed supplies an overhang that covers the walkway adjacent to the stall fronts. This allows you to feed, visit, and talk with your horses in peace, even on a rainy day.
Even if you don’t have electricity run to the barn, you can add some solar panels on the roof so that you can have lights for inside the shelter. This can be especially nice if your barn is a long distance from your electrical service.
We Offer Horse Lean-To’s
We are happy to say that we offer horse lean-to’s. Here’s an overview of the specs and details of our horse lean-to shelters. Keep in mind that you can always design your own lean-to for horses in our 3D Horse Barn Designer…for free!
First off, here are the general specs and details.
General Specs | Standard Features |
Min. size = 16×24 | White Pine Board & Batten Siding (Paint Optional) |
Eave height = 8’ | Lifetime Architectural Shingles |
10” inch overhang | Oak Kickboard 4′ High |
Roof pitch: 3/12 | Powder Coated Steel grills on Partitions |
Standard Truss | 1 Door & 1 Window per Stall |
12’ Max Spacing | Available in sizes from 10×12 to 12×48 |
Here are the structural details for a Fisher Barn horse lean-to.
Structural Details: | Structural Details: |
Style: Lean-To | Left Side: Fully Enclosed – Siding: Vertical Board & Batten |
Base Size: 24‘x24′ | Right Side: Fully Enclosed – Siding: Vertical Board & Batten |
Architectural Shingles: Charcoal | Front End: Fully Enclosed – Siding: Vertical Board & Batten |
Trim: Black | Back End: Fully Enclosed – Siding: Vertical Board & Batten |
Siding: Mahogany (Stain) | Back Porch Gable Wall Details: Fully Enclosed – Siding: Vertical Board & Batten |
Door: Navajo White | Front Porch Gable Wall Details: Fully Enclosed – Siding: Vertical Board & Batten |
Window Frame: White | 4′ x 7′ Dutch Door |
Roof: Black | 3′ x 7′ Shed Door |
Frame Spacing: 12′ Max Spacing | 28″ x 24″ Single Hung Window (Qty. 2) |
Roof Style: Architectural Shingles | Cupola: 24″ x 24″ Cupola |
Roof Pitch: 3 / 12 | Roof Overhang: 10″ Overhang (all sides) |
Trusses: Standard Truss | Leg Height: 8′ |
We do require a concrete pier foundation to be built before we install a lean-to horse barn.
To Recap…
Well, that’s a lot of info on horse-lean to’s! We hope you learned more about the cost, size, benefits (and more!) of lean-to’s for horses. As we mentioned earlier, we’ve got a 3D Horse Barn Builder where you can make free horse barn designs…and save them for free!
Or, you could request a quote on a horse lean-to, and we’ll get back to you ASAP! And if you want a broad overview of our best horse barn styles, read our guide. Thanks for joining!